Country Rock / Folk Rock

Some artists will use a variety of instruments, for example Credence Clearwater Revival uses a Hammond organ and multiple electric guitars in “Have You Ever Seen the Rain? ” and the uses a slide guitar In “Looking Out My Back Door’. Where as Neil Young only performs “Old Man” live with a single acoustic guitar. Other instruments applicable to this genre are mandolins, honey-tone pianos, drums, electric and string bases, five string banjos and fiddles. Some of the common effects used on vocalists are using delay to reverbs their voice.For example the lead singer of the Grateful Dead uses reverberation. Another vocal effect used is doubling to make the sound ND the vocals sound larger than they really are, John Foggier, from Credence Clearwater Revival, voice’s is doubled to get that loud, rich sound.

The vocal style of the singers is dominantly melodic for all of the 5 bands I researched, there were some harmonies present in The Grateful Dead and appearing on occasion with the Flying Burrito Brothers Band, mostly there was a singular lead vocalist like John Denver, John Foggier or Neil Young.

Country Rock and Folk Rock is a genre that has fused elements of folk and country into rock and roll. It began in the ass’s with folk rock renegade Bob Dylan and other folk artists from the members, Peter Paul and Mary, The Birds, Joan Bake, Oral Guthrie, and Pete Serer. Many popular rock bands experimented with folk like Simon and Garfield, The Beetles and The Beach Boys. This transition can also be seen from Country artists as well, most prominently Johnny Cash. The length of these songs vary with artists.The average length for a song from Credence Clearwater Revival, John Denver, and Neil Young is 3 to 3 h minutes at most.

When songs like “Wild Horses” by The Flying Burrito Brothers is over 6 minutes in length and “Casey Jones” by the Grateful dead is almost 5 minutes long. The structural patterns of the verses and choruses are of a faster tempo and are extremely melodic and upbeat. Most of these songs are written in the major key tonality. There steel peddle, guitar, electric guitar, and vocal solos throughout the genre.The guitar solos don’t use as many power cords as heavy meal solos and definitely don’t shred. Syncopation is widely used. Blue notes and 12 bar blues are incorporated.

Most of the songs have a verse/ refrain structure as well. Some common themes into the lyrics are country living, getting back to nature and freedom. Some common example of these themes come from Country Roads” by John Denver. “Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze. Country roads, take me home to the place I belong. Another theme in the lyrics is political message of change. For example in “Old Man” by Neil Young he talks about the generation gap and the lack of understanding and the hypocrisies of society.

“Old man look at my life, I’m a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, I’m a lot like you were. ” Credence Clearwater Revival also challenges society to look and suffering and empathic. “l know; Been that way for all my time. ‘Till reeve, on it goes Through the circle, fast and slow, I know; It can’t stop, I wonder. The first performer watched live was When Neil Young Performs live he is very charismatic, he talks with the audience and makes jokes and gives them background information about his songs and influences and its very casual. The entire time he chills out a stool in a coffee shop type stage, and he plays his acoustic guitar and he sings and that’s it.

Also his hair is way past his shoulders and I love his button up western shirt and jeans. The second performer watched live was the Grateful Dead; it was at an outdoor concert n 1972.They Seem super relaxed almost (probably) drugged/ doped Out. Everyone looked like yuppie hippies going to a summer barbecue especially Jerry Garcia Their live mystic is far more a melodic than their studio albums also they have so many musicians and vocalists. They also use far less country/folk instruments and predominately use rock instruments live. The third performer watched live was Credence Clearwater Revival. Watched a concert from the Albert Hall in 1970.

Have seen their performance from Woodstock and they were very different.John Forgery had the funniest bowl UT haircut in the universe, also all the members in the band have shaggy shoulder length hair and everyone is wearing jeans. They also have fewer members than Grateful Dead. It’s John on guitar and vocals, then a base player and another guitarist with a slide, and a drummer and a kit. Mainly the performers were predominately vocalists, guitarists, and a drummer. All of the performers were male and had shaggy shoulder length hair and sometimes some pretty radical facial hair. Also anytime they were performing they were really casually dressed, also there was some button up plaid shirts and lots of blue jeans.